我到底长了一副什么脸？ What kind of “face” or look do I actually have?
记得在纽西兰求学的时候，某天跟隔壁家一位中年洋妇谈得蛮投机，突然她问我是哪个国籍；当我说我是马来西亚华侨时，她显得很惊讶，说我不像马来西亚人，然后她说了一句：“你是一位很好看的马来西亚人”。。。
我对她这句话感到有点诧异，后来她解释说在她印象中，马来西亚人长得不是很好看。。。（她一定只见过很少马来西亚人，因有好多马来西亚人长得比我好看多了！〕所以我听了啼笑皆非，我是应该为我们马来西亚人的“长相”感到悲哀呢，还是要为我长得比较“异类”而开心呢？
I remember when I was studying in New Zealand, one day I was having a very good chat with a middle-age Kiwi lady next door, suddenly she asked me which country I came from; when I told her I was a Malaysian Chinese, she was kind of surprised, then she said : ” Well, you are one good-looking Malaysian”…
I was puzzled by her comment, she later explained that in her impression Malaysians are not good-looking (she must have seen too few Malaysians as there are many who are so much better looking than me!), so I did not know whether to laugh or to cry in reaction to that, should I feel sad about the “Malaysian look” or should I rejoice that I look like a different “species”?
在纽西兰时也认识一位另一个东马州，沙巴州的朋友，他是沙巴原住民卡达山人，有一天他也问我有没卡达山血统，因他说我长得很像很多沙巴州的卡达山及华裔混血儿。。。我说我妈是沙巴人，但我妈说她是纯华人，我爸爸也是纯华人。。。但这位原住民朋友却觉得我长得像原住民。。。
While in New Zealand I also got to know a friend from another East Malaysian state of Sabah, he is a native of Sabah belonging to the Kadazan tribe. One day he asked me whether I was a Sino-Kadazan ( Chinese and Kadazan mixed ) because he said I looked like many Sino-Kadazans in Sabah… I said my mum is a Sabahan but a pure Chinese and my dad is a pure Chinese too… but this native Sabahan friend thought I looked like a native too…
曾经在新加坡购物时，店员问我是不是美国华侨；有次重回纽西兰度假时，住宿的女主人也以为我是美国华侨。。。
上个星期在自己居住的城市古晋去脚底按摩，按摩师问我是哪里人，我说本地人啊，她也说不像。。。
在古晋飞往吉隆坡的飞机上，空姐也跟我闲聊几句，然后也问我是哪里人，我说本地马来西亚人啊，她也说不像，她说我长得像台湾人。。。
唉，那我到底长得一副哪个国籍的脸啊？
Once shopping in Singapore, the sales assistant asked whether I was an American Chinese; the same question was posed by my accommodation landlady when I went back to holiday in New Zealand once…
Last week in the city I live in, Kuching, I went for foot massage, and the massage staff asked where I was from. I said I am a local Malaysian, she said I do not look like one…
Then in the flight from Kuching to KL, the air stewardess chatted with me and asked where I came from, I said I am a Malaysian, again she said I do not look like one, she said I look like a Taiwanese…
Sigh, then which nationality does my face really look like?
现在我的光头照曝光了，你们看又像什么人呢？
Now that my “bald-look” picture is exposed, so what nationality do I look you say?
不止“国籍”出问题，连“职业”也出问题！很多人也说我长得不像“牧师”，连做牧师也要有某种长相啊？！
以前当中学老师时，有些学生的家长们还以为我是他们孩子的同学呢！
唉，我到底是长了一副什么样的脸啊？可能我的是“圣经式”的“当你在罗马时要像罗马人”的那种脸吧？哈哈。。。
And not just “nationality” problem, there is also “career” problem! Many people said I do not look like a “pastor” as well, so even a pastor needs to have a certain look?!
When I was a secondary school teacher before, some students’ parents even thought I was their children’s classmate!
Sigh, so what kind of face do I actually have? May be I have the “Biblical look” of “Be like a Roman when you are in Rome”? Haha…
